Senate Rejects Rand Paul Pollution Bill, 56 – 41

Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-KY) bill to kill a new Environmental Protection Agency rule that will reduce cross-state air pollution from coal-fired power plants in Kentucky and 26 other states was resoundingly defeated by a bipartisan 56 to 41 vote. Democrats Joe Manchin (WV) and Ben Nelson (NE) supported Paul’s radical bill. Republican senators Kelly Ayotte (NH), Scott Brown (MA), Olympia Snowe (ME), Susan Collins (ME), Mark Kirk (IL), and Lamar Alexander (TN) opposed the Congressional Review Act resolution. “Nine million people a year come to see the Great Smoky Mountains, not the Great Smoggy Mountains,” Alexander said. The 41 supporters each received an average of $361,370 from the mining and utility industries, 188 percent greater than the average contributions to the 56 opponents. Sens. Daniel Inouye (D-HI), John McCain (R-AZ), and Jeff Sessions (R-AL) did not vote.